Amadeus (A or 4/4 stars)
To millions of people around the world, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote some of the most majestic music ever written (today or now). So his untimely & mysterious death at the age of 35 remains a provocative source of speculation & drama. Written by Peter Shaffer (from his 1979 award-winning play) & directed by Milos Forman, most of 'Amadeus' covers the years 1781-1791; chronicling the composer's highs & lows, as viewed by Salieri (F. Murray Abraham), the Court Composer to Emperor Joseph II (Jeffrey Jones). But the story actually begins in the 1820s, with an elderly Salieri, now confined to an insane asylum after attempting suicide, offering a huge confession to a young priest. His tale forms the bulk of the film's narrative.
The now feeble & embittered Salieri recalls making a pact with God in which he promised to serve him if he could become a heralded composer. After hearing about Mozart (the child wonder who has performed for royalty), Saleri is astounded when he finally meets him in 1781. Why astounded? Because Mozart (Tom Hulce), 26 at the time, turns out to be an uncouth, foul-mouthed, & conceited delinquent who chases women, drinks, & has no respect for society. Yet, when Salieri hears his music, he realizes that God has pulled one over on him; and that there is a huge gap btwn. his own mediocre talent & Mozart's God-given virtuosity. Amadeus then rebels against his dour, puritanical father, Leopold (Roy Dotrice).
He marries Constanze (a playful Elizabeth Berridge), an uneducated woman; and is then commissioned to write an opera in German (rather than the customary Italian) for the Emperor. It is after this where Salieri's repugnance for Mozart grows & he begins his subtle campaign to ruin him; even abetted by the composer himself, who is seen by ALL as an interesting talent, but too unstable to be taken seriously. Despite the rejection of some of his work by the court, Mozart continues to amaze his rival (Salieri) with an unending supply of rapturous music.
Following the death of his father, Mozart is haunted by images of him. Sensing Mozart's vulnerability, Salieri cranks up his efforts to destroy the now poverty-stricken composer by placing a maid (Cynthia Nixon) in his rival's household as a spy. Then, hiding his identity, Salieri commissions Mozart to write a Requiem Mass. Exhausted, sick & depressed, Mozart reaches out to Salieri for help in transcribing the Requiem Mass just before he dies. And so, Salieri used Mozart's relationship with his father & his guilt over being a bad son to drive him into a downward spiral of poor health. Mozart is ultimately buried in a pauper's grave with few people in attendance. As we know from the 1820 scenes, Salieri lives on, simultaneously appeased yet tormented over his dead rival. Tormented; because he knows he destroyed a genius who enraptured everyone with his music.
The most complex character here is Salieri. Only a mediocre composer in his own right, he is smart enough to recognize Mozart's genius. To add insult to injury, Salieri had led a pious life - avoiding women, not drinking, & devoting himself to God - while Mozart's existence had been one of debauchery & excess. Despite that, it is Mozart's music that is God-like, not Salieri's. Salieri is tortured by this, & it is his envy leads him to seek Mozart's fall.
F. Murray Abraham is magnificent, here; creating a tragic figure burdened by jealousy, guilt & the belief that God has deserted him. We always see the grief in his eyes, even when he smiles. Tom Hulce is also quite good as Mozart, the larger-than-life, ostentatious 18th c. rock star (careless, sometimes cruel, living beyond his means). Heck, he even cheats on his wife - even though he loves her. Hulce goes over-the-top in his portrayal -- but he has to. So while he misses many nuances that F. Murray Abraham is able to bring, it's still a dynamic performance because of the grandness of his character.
'Amadeus' is a BIG movie. Not only is it the best film of 1984 (in my opinion), but I also think it's one of the best biographical movies about an artist and his creations ... ever. The director & his team have given us an incredible portrait of Mozart; filled with rich details, powerful drama, STUNNING visuals, & earth-shattering music {of course}. Oh, that music. One of the most stirring scenes occurs late in the movie, as Mozart is dictating his Requiem to Salieri. We see the music being created, then we hear it, then we process what is signifies -- great moment. Not only is 'Amadeus' a fascinating, multi-layered character study, but the Shakespearean-like tragedy involving Mozart, Salieri, & God makes for such an intriguing piece of work, alone. 'Amadeus' is simply an amazing achievement.
The now feeble & embittered Salieri recalls making a pact with God in which he promised to serve him if he could become a heralded composer. After hearing about Mozart (the child wonder who has performed for royalty), Saleri is astounded when he finally meets him in 1781. Why astounded? Because Mozart (Tom Hulce), 26 at the time, turns out to be an uncouth, foul-mouthed, & conceited delinquent who chases women, drinks, & has no respect for society. Yet, when Salieri hears his music, he realizes that God has pulled one over on him; and that there is a huge gap btwn. his own mediocre talent & Mozart's God-given virtuosity. Amadeus then rebels against his dour, puritanical father, Leopold (Roy Dotrice).
He marries Constanze (a playful Elizabeth Berridge), an uneducated woman; and is then commissioned to write an opera in German (rather than the customary Italian) for the Emperor. It is after this where Salieri's repugnance for Mozart grows & he begins his subtle campaign to ruin him; even abetted by the composer himself, who is seen by ALL as an interesting talent, but too unstable to be taken seriously. Despite the rejection of some of his work by the court, Mozart continues to amaze his rival (Salieri) with an unending supply of rapturous music.
Following the death of his father, Mozart is haunted by images of him. Sensing Mozart's vulnerability, Salieri cranks up his efforts to destroy the now poverty-stricken composer by placing a maid (Cynthia Nixon) in his rival's household as a spy. Then, hiding his identity, Salieri commissions Mozart to write a Requiem Mass. Exhausted, sick & depressed, Mozart reaches out to Salieri for help in transcribing the Requiem Mass just before he dies. And so, Salieri used Mozart's relationship with his father & his guilt over being a bad son to drive him into a downward spiral of poor health. Mozart is ultimately buried in a pauper's grave with few people in attendance. As we know from the 1820 scenes, Salieri lives on, simultaneously appeased yet tormented over his dead rival. Tormented; because he knows he destroyed a genius who enraptured everyone with his music.
The most complex character here is Salieri. Only a mediocre composer in his own right, he is smart enough to recognize Mozart's genius. To add insult to injury, Salieri had led a pious life - avoiding women, not drinking, & devoting himself to God - while Mozart's existence had been one of debauchery & excess. Despite that, it is Mozart's music that is God-like, not Salieri's. Salieri is tortured by this, & it is his envy leads him to seek Mozart's fall.
F. Murray Abraham is magnificent, here; creating a tragic figure burdened by jealousy, guilt & the belief that God has deserted him. We always see the grief in his eyes, even when he smiles. Tom Hulce is also quite good as Mozart, the larger-than-life, ostentatious 18th c. rock star (careless, sometimes cruel, living beyond his means). Heck, he even cheats on his wife - even though he loves her. Hulce goes over-the-top in his portrayal -- but he has to. So while he misses many nuances that F. Murray Abraham is able to bring, it's still a dynamic performance because of the grandness of his character.
'Amadeus' is a BIG movie. Not only is it the best film of 1984 (in my opinion), but I also think it's one of the best biographical movies about an artist and his creations ... ever. The director & his team have given us an incredible portrait of Mozart; filled with rich details, powerful drama, STUNNING visuals, & earth-shattering music {of course}. Oh, that music. One of the most stirring scenes occurs late in the movie, as Mozart is dictating his Requiem to Salieri. We see the music being created, then we hear it, then we process what is signifies -- great moment. Not only is 'Amadeus' a fascinating, multi-layered character study, but the Shakespearean-like tragedy involving Mozart, Salieri, & God makes for such an intriguing piece of work, alone. 'Amadeus' is simply an amazing achievement.